Mental Health

The official line at CLAIR is that if you have a mental health issue, you are instructed to contact your CO and/or a mental health professional.

=Contracting Organisations (COs)= The CO is the JET’s employer and has experience dealing with JET issues. COs are available during working hours and may be available after hours, depending on the relationship.

=JET Line= This service is provided by CLAIR. The calls are answered by the Programme Coordinators (PCs) who have had experience on the JET Programme. Conversations are confidential and callers can remain anonymous.

=Peer Support Group (PSG)= Provided by National AJET, PSG consists of 30 volunteers who are current JET Programme participants. PSG is the only English language listening and referral service available exclusively to JETs throughout the night. PSG is available from 8pm until 7am, 365 nights a year. Current JETs with at least one year of experience on the JET Programme receive in-house training and help callers generate their own solutions and/or suggest appropriate referrals. Callers first call the PSG at 0120-437-725 and listen to a recorded message that contains the volunteer’s home phone number. Callers then hang up and call the volunteer directly. The very method of contacting PSG provides complete anonymity to callers and all volunteers sign a confidentiality agreement.

=Self-support Group Leaders (SGLs)= Organised by CLAIR, SGLs consist of 14 volunteers who are current JETs. SGLs provide PA-style support and counselling to JET participants whose native language is not English. SGLs are available in 7 languages: Chinese, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. As SGL tasks are in addition to their duties for the JET Programme, JETs are encouraged to contact SGLs outside of work hours. SGLs receive the same training as PAs and attend the same counselling training seminars. SGLs are contacted directly, with contact details published in the CLAIR newsletter and available through the JET Line. Due to the comparatively small number of JETs each SGL must care for, it may be difficult for a JET to access their SGL anonymously.

=Tokyo English Life Line (TELL)= TELL is completely independent of the JET Programme and the Japanese government. TELL is a volunteer-run service provided by a Tokyo-based nonprofit organisation. Any English speaker in Japan can call in for free telephone counselling and information. English speaking volunteers can be contacted at 03-5774-0992 daily from 09:00-23:00. Volunteers undergo a 12-week in-house training program before taking calls. Callers remain anonymous.

=The Role of Your PA= Wakayama Prefecture has three Prefectural Advisors (one Japanese and two Programme Participants) who receive training from professional counselors twice a year. The role of the PA is to help JETs deal with problems and provide referral services.

The Prefectural Advisors can provide the following: The PAs are here to help YOU! If you have a problem, no matter how small, don’t suffer in silence. All too often JETs put off contacting their PAs until the situation gets out of hand and becomes much more difficult to solve for all parties involved. Please see General PA for contact info.
 * Information regarding living and working in Japan (ie, medical services, immigration procedures, insurance systems, etc).
 * Information regarding JET Programme procedures and contract issues.
 * Help to JETs and Contracting Organisations in working through any difficulties which they might have.
 * Full cooperation in the event of an emergency.

CONFIDENTIALITY
PAs must observe strict confidentiality. They must receive permission from the JET before they can discuss their case with a third party. They cannot mention the details of a counseling case in any manner which might allow the JET to be identified.

HOWEVER.........
In the event of an emergency (life and death and/or abuse) the PA must act in the JET’s best interest, even if doing so involves a breach of confidentiality. As well, if the PA receives any information pertaining to illegal activities by a JET Participant, such as drug possession/trafficking, intent to commit theft, murder, etc., then the PA is bound by law to report the information to the appropriate authorities.

=Other support Groups=

The Dawn Center The Dawn Center is a Women's Center run by Osaka Prefecture that offers a variety of counseling services: "personal counseling" by specialized women counselors, "support groups" for women with similar problems in order to support each other (in Japanese, English and Chinese), and "telephone counseling" for those who cannot come to the Dawn Center. Health consultation, legal advice, and programs on self-assertion for women and understanding human relationships are also available.


 * Phone: 06-6910-8615
 * Fax: 06-6910-8624
 * E-mail: [mailto:dawn@dawncenter.or.jp dawn@dawncenter.or.jp]
 * URL: www.dawncenter.or.jp
 * 3-49, 1-chome, Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 〒540-0008
 * 〒540-0008 大阪府大阪市中央区大手前1丁目3-49

Mental Health
International Mental Health Providers www.imhpj.org

Association of Medical Directors of Asia (AMDA)
(AMDA: 03-5285-8088 9am-5pm M-F) – Like TELL they can get you information on English speaking doctors in your area and other medical information and advice.

Alcoholism
0792-22-2691 078-856-4180 For friends & family of alcoholics 0729-77-8366
 * Alcoholics Anonymous Himeji
 * Alcoholics Anonymous, Kobe
 * AL-ANON Family Support Group

AIDS Hotline
Phone: 03-5285-8088 English: 11:00 - 18:00, Mon-Sat Japanese: 10:00 - 18:00, Daily Phone: 0720-48-2004 Japan HIV Center (Osaka) Phone: 06-6882-0282 13:00 - 18:00, Sat.
 * AIDS Hotline
 * AIDS Information Service (Osaka)

Eating Disorders
0798-41-9484 078-858-3923
 * Bulimics Anonymous (Nishinomiya)
 * Overeaters Anonymous (Kobe)

Other
0356-93-4569 0422-56-3953 www.vegietokyo.com
 * Intl. Friends Gay Support Network
 * Intl. Lesbian Support Network
 * Vegetarian